New Mexico

Created in 2013 from partly existing public lands, The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument encompasses a large amount of land along the Rio Grande River from the Colorado border to south of Taos. Far from any major city, you'll likely enjoy trails to yourself in the morning and few other visit...

Begin this trail from the Cerro Gordo Trailhead which is only about 10 minutes from Santa Fe Plaza. You can park in the lot near the intersection of Cerro Gordo and Upper Canyon Rd. The lot will fill up on the weekends so arrive early. From the lot, take the short Nature Conservancy trail to the ...

Starting at the ski basin above Santa Fe, where parking is ample and the drive to reach it is staggeringly beautiful, you head north from the bottom of the parking lot from a well marked trailhead.  The climb starts right out of the gate, and at a starting altitude of 10,000 ft above sea level yo...

Although you can reach these hot springs via the main trail in the winter, the Thompson Ridge route is a shorter option that comes in from above the springs rather than below. If you go in winter, you'll need winter route finding skills for the trail (there's no signage at any point) and an all w...

Starting at an elevation of 10,000 feet at the Santa Fe Ski Basin, a right turn at the Winsor trail starts a steep climb for .5 miles until the wilderness boundary gate. From there, the trail descends slightly, taking a path along the ridge through mossy pines and emerald stones. A mile later, yo...

Bandelier National Monument encompasses over 33,000 acres of public land, including Frijoles Canyon, the home of the Ancestral Puebloans that once lived in the area. The park has miles of trails to explore the rugged countryside, but the main attractions are the cliff dwellings you'll find on the...

10K trailhead springs from it a whole handful of beautiful trails.  With access to a rocky path that leads off into raw wilderness, a clean and smooth walking, hiking, and mountain biking trail covered by tall pine canopy, or a wide cut service road ideal for easy strolls, you have plenty of opti...

Starting on the floor of the San Juan Basin and behind Pueblo Bonito, follow the signs up a twisty and dusty path that leads to a narrow gap between a very large boulder and the mesa wall. After an easy scramble through the gap, you will gain the top of the mesa. Once on top, follow the sporadic ...

Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary (CCIDSS) is the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary located on National Forest System lands and also in North America.  Situated on the western edge of the Gila National Forest & Wilderness the Cosmic Campground offers a 360-degree, unobst...

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is an incredible place that has 3 main focuses: rescue, sanctuary and care, and education. It's important to keep these in mind when visiting, but also when you're exploring elsewhere. As WSWS is a bit far from your typical town, I recommend preparing in advance if you...

NOTE: The Hot Springs are on private property and are no longer accessible to the public.  The Basics: Hot springs abound in the Taos area. From the all-inclusive (and expensive) Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort to free, primitive hot springs like this one or neighboring Black Rock Hot Spr...

At the last switchback on Country Road B-007, is where the trailhead is located. if you've gone to the lowest point possible within the canyon, right next to the river, you have gone too far and need to turn around to the last switchback. it is an easy .3 Mile trail with a 68 foot elevation drop/...

You start at the hiking at base of the the San Pedro Wilderness at the San Gregorio Lake Trailhead! This particular hike is called the Vacas Trail loop. For directions: Take US 550 to Cuba (north west of Albuquerque), turn east on NM 126 and go for about 9 miles. Just past the community of Deer ...

The Gila Wilderness is the oldest wilderness area in The United States, and Jordan Hot Springs rests right in the heart of Canyon of the Middle Fork of the Gila River, along a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail and some 7 miles from the nearest road. The most direct road by either car or tra...

From the US 70 pull into the White Sands Visitor Center. Then continue along Dunes Drive. Eventually, Dunes Drive turns into Loop Drive. At the end of this road, you will find the Alkali Flat trailhead.  One of the most beautiful and potentially disorienting 5-mile round-trip treks through the d...

Completed in 1965, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is the seventh highest bridge in the United States. The design is a steel deck arch bridge than spans 1280 feet and sits 565 feet high. The bridge has sidewalks and viewpoints of the gorge on each side with parking at the Rio Grande Gorge Rest Area p...